M6.3 earthquake - 26 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga
16417 d ago · 4 Nov 1981, 14:38 UTC 26 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga
What happened
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 26 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga on 4 Nov 1981, 14:38 UTC at a depth of 33 km.
Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.
The nearest town in our records is Nuku‘alofa, about 155 km away in Tongatapu, Tonga.
Timeline
First reported by USGS
16 Oct 2026, 20:46 UTC
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